Posts by jclhol

jclhol

26 Mar 2024

Genealogy / Where Does FamilySearch Find Their Documents? [NEW]

I have the scan of my Great-Grandmother's birth certificate I got off of Family Search, but to get an official copy the archive says they don't have it. Szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl shows they haven't scanned the volumes for that year (and many years around it). My question is, if the archive can't find it - how did familysearch find it? If I go to the archives in person, can I search the books myself? If not, would there be any value in going in person? My Polish is not that great, but I can get by - and I can write out my situation and all the details I know - so I'm not worried about a language barrier.

Could there be a situation where FamilySearch has a different source of documents than the archive?

jclhol

15 Mar 2024

Travel / How to get Polish entry/exit stamps in passport when entering the Schengen area in a country other than Poland [12]

How long are you planning on being in Poland?

It is for proving presence in Poland while in possession of a Polish permanent residency (not the EU one).

How would one prove a short stay (if the situation ever arises)? Longer stays could be proven with leases, etc as stated above.

Let's use this trip as an example:

Fly from US through FRA to WAW
Stay 2 weeks
Fly back the same way.

I would have 2 FRA stamps in my passport, but none from Poland. Wondering how I can get Polish stamps as proof of presence.

jclhol

13 Mar 2024

Travel / How to get Polish entry/exit stamps in passport when entering the Schengen area in a country other than Poland [12]

To stay airside as a transit passenger, your luggage would need to be checked in through to Warsaw though, assuming you bring checked in luggage at all.

Using Frankfurt as an example (I'm sure other airports may be different), On their site (frankfurt-airport.com/en/flights-and-transfer/transferring-at-fra.html) it says:

You are arriving from an airport in a non-Schengen country and are traveling to a destination within the Schengen Area:

You will probably have to clear a border check. Depending on your nationality, you may require a transit visa. If in doubt, please contact an embassy or consulate of your country.

Admittedly, It's been a few years since I've been to FRA, but I seem to remember different terminals for international (non-Schengen) flights and 'domestic' (intra-Schengen) flights, and to go from one to the other we had to 'pass the border' and got our entry stamp there. I can't imagine that a flight from FRA to WAW would require passport checks from people disembarking because wouldn't they assume everyone has already cleared passport control?

jclhol

13 Mar 2024

Travel / How to get Polish entry/exit stamps in passport when entering the Schengen area in a country other than Poland [12]

Thank you, it sounds like I can register of my own free will if my visit is under 30 days?

"If you entered Poland on the basis of an agreement which enables the abolition or limitation of the visa requirement, you can register on the basis of a stamp placed in the travel document, which confirms the submission of an application for a residence permit."

In other words I can go there and just get a stamp?

jclhol

13 Mar 2024

Travel / How to get Polish entry/exit stamps in passport when entering the Schengen area in a country other than Poland [12]

This isn't just just to get a stamp for curiosity sake, but to officially document visits to Poland.

When going to Poland from my part of the US, cost effective flights do not fly directly to Warsaw, but enter the Schengen area through other European cities then fly on to Warsaw. My passport would be stamped in that entry city, then the Warsaw flight would be considered 'local'.

Yes, I can fly through Chicago or Toronto then take Lot direct but for some reason those flights are running double the cost.

When entering/exiting Poland to/from other Schengen countries, how does one document their presence in Poland specifically?

jclhol

3 Mar 2024

Law / Are There Requirements For Keeping a Polish Permanent Residency? [2]

Aside from having to renew the card every 10 years.

I.e. - Are there restrictions on how long you can be out of the country, or any thing else you cannot/must do to keep it?

In the case of renewing the card every 10 years, if you don't renew the card do you lose the Permanent Residency? Or is it like a passport, if you don't renew your passport you don't lose your citizenship?

Thank you!